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Wednesday, 1 November 2006

Victoria in October 2006 - a month of extremes

Rainfall Summary

Victoria has registered its lowest mean rainfall total since 1914. Many individual places have also registered their lowest monthly rainfall total on record. An interesting feature of the month was that there were quite a number of cold frontal passages. In a typical October, each of these frontal passages might have been expected to drop about 10-20 mm of rain. This year, the fronts resulted in 1 mm or less of rain, chiefly in coastal areas. As a consequence, much of southern Victoria registered a fairly large number of "rain days", even though the rainfall totals for the month were minimal.

Refer to map.

Click here to view maps of rainfall for Victoria, and long term climate trends for Victoria.

Temperature Summary

Victoria registered its highest mean maximum temperature since such records began in 1950. Many individual places have also recorded their highest mean maximum temperature on record for October, as well as their highest individual temperature on record for October. By contrast, Victoria registered its second lowest mean minimum temperature since such records began in 1950. Many individual places have also recorded their lowest mean minimum temperature on record for October, as well as their lowest individual temperature on record for October.

Click here to view maps of temperature for Victoria, and long term climate trends for Victoria.

Significant Weather Systems

The cause for the extreme weather conditions is an El Niño event combined with unusually cold water over the northern Australian/Indonesian waters. This combination is leading to the sinking and drying of air over Australia, resulting in clear skies, hot days and cold nights.

Melbourne Summary

Melbourne experienced its earliest 35+ day on record on October 12, but, by contrast, snow fell as low as 400 metres over the Dandenongs during the last weekend of the month.

Included in this summary are a table of State extremes, some new records, and summaries for locations across the State. Visit our maps of rainfall and temperatures for this month.

Please contact us for further information.

Victoria Climate Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Dr Harvey Stern (03) 9669 4949
Email climate.vic@bom.gov.au

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 1 PM on Wednesday 1 November 2006 . Although every effort has been made to check them, it is possible that results may change as new information becomes available.

Extremes

Weather extremes during October 2006
Highest temperature
Hottest day		 38.5 °C Ouyen (Post Office) on 12th
Highest mean daily maximum temperature
Warmest days on average		 26.3 °C Mildura Airport
and Swan Hill Aerodrome
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature
Coolest days on average		 10.3 °C Mt Hotham
Lowest daily maximum temperature
Coldest day		 2.1 °C Mt Hotham on 28th
Lowest temperature
Coldest night		 -8.0 °C Mt Hotham on 28th
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature
Coldest nights on average		 1.2 °C Mt Hotham
Highest mean daily minimum temperature
Mildest nights on average		 10.5 °C Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse
Highest daily minimum
Warmest night		 21.1 °C Cape Otway Lighthouse on 12th
Highest total rainfall
Wettest overall		 38.8 mm Noojee (Slivar)
Lowest total rainfall
Driest overall		 0.0 mm Mildura Airport
and Swan Hill Aerodrome
Highest daily rainfall
Wettest day		 16.6 mm Noojee (Slivar) on 28th

Records

Record Lowest Total Rainfall for October

Total rainfall
for October 2006 (mm) 		Previous lowest
for October 		Years of
record
Nhill 1.2 1.8
in 1914
 122
Lake Eildon 4.8 7.4
in 1896
 119
Longerenong 1.6 1.8
in 1967
 116
East Sale Airport 8.4 10.8
in 1977
 64
Mildura Airport 0.0 0.6
in 1991
 61
Mangalore Airport 0.2 2.6
in 1996
 50
Castlemaine Prison 3.2 7.0
in 1991
 41
Warracknabeal Museum 1.8 2.4
in 1991
 37
Bairnsdale Airport 8.0 22.0
in 1984
 28
Noojee 38.8 65.6
in 1994
 25
Albury Airport 2.6 8.3
in 2004
 24
Hamilton Airport 13.6 19.2
in 1991
 24
Morwell 13.0 31.8
in 2004
 22


Lowest Total Rainfall for 20 or more years for October

Total rainfall
for October 2006 (mm) 		Most recent lower
for October
Ballarat Aerodrome 5.0 0.0
in 1914
Benalla 0.4 0.0
in 1914
Echuca Aerodrome 1.2 0.0
in 1914
Horsham 2.6 1.0
in 1914
Kerang 0.4 0.0
in 1914
Melbourne Regional Office 8.8 7.5
in 1914
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse 16.4 5.1
in 1914
Wonthaggi 17.3 4.0
in 1914
Ouyen 0.4 0.0
in 1914
Cape Otway Lighthouse 24.6 21.2
in 1927
Maryborough 4.0 3.4
in 1938
Point Hicks 20.3 15.8
in 1981


Record Highest Mean Maximum Temperature for October

Mean daily maximum
temperature
for October 2006 (°C) 		Previous highest
for October 		Years of
record
Mangalore Airport 23.8 23.7
in 1965
 47
Lake Eildon 23.3 22.3
in 1991
 37
Warracknabeal Museum 24.7 24.4
in 1977
 33
Portland 18.2 18.1
in 2004
 25
Hamilton Airport 20.4 19.2
in 1999
 24
Albury Airport 25.9 23.1
in 2002
 23
Morwell 21.6 20.7
in 2005
 22


Highest Mean Maximum Temperature for 20 years or more for October

Mean daily maximum
temperature
for October 2006 (°C) 		Most recent higher
for October
Horsham 24.5 26.3
in 1914
Nhill 24.0 24.4
in 1938
Ballarat Aerodrome 19.9 20.1
in 1940
Benalla 24.7 25.4
in 1940
Longerenong 24.0 24.6
in 1896
Echuca Aerodrome 25.3 26.0
in 1961
Melbourne Regional Office 21.9 23.0
in 1961
Maryborough 22.6 23.7
in 1965
Cape Otway Lighthouse 17.8 18.3
in 1977
Castlemaine Prison 21.8 22.2
in 1977


Record Highest Temperature for October

Highest temperature
in October 2006 (°C) 		Previous highest
for October 		Years of
record
Benalla 35.2
on 13th
 34.6
on 12th in 1977
 103
Maryborough 35.4
on 12th
 = 35.4
on 30th in 1965
 100
Ballarat Aerodrome 33.4
on 12th
 31.7
on 30th in 1965
 98
East Sale Airport 34.7
on 12th
 33.9
on 28th in 1977
 62
Mangalore Airport 35.9
on 12th
 35.6
on 30th in 1965
 47
Castlemaine Prison 34.5
on 12th
 34.0
on 29th in 1990
 38
Wonthaggi 34.0
on 12th
 33.0
on 28th in 1977
 38
Lake Eildon 33.8
on 12th
 32.3
on 31st in 1990
 37
Warracknabeal Museum 37.6
on 12th
 = 37.6
on 12th in 2004
 33
Portland 32.4
on 12th
 32.0
on 12th in 2004
 25
Hamilton Airport 34.0
on 12th
 31.4
on 12th in 2004
 24
Albury Airport 36.5
on 13th
 33.8
on 30th in 2002
 23
Morwell 35.1
on 12th
 33.8
on 29th in 1990
 22


Record Lowest Mean Daily Minimum Temperature for October

Mean daily minimum
temperature
for October 2006 (°C) 		Previous lowest
for October 		Years of
record
Ballarat Aerodrome 4.0 4.1
in 1998
 98
Bairnsdale Airport 5.4 6.1
in 2003
 27
Portland 6.2 7.2
in 1982
 25
Hamilton Airport 4.4 5.5
in 2003
 24
Morwell 4.9 5.6
in 2003
 22


Lowest Mean Minimum Temperature for 20 years or more for October

Mean daily minimum
temperature
for October 2006 (°C) 		Most recent lower
for October
East Sale Airport 5.3 4.8
in 1946


Record Highest Daily Minimum Temperature for October

Highest daily minimum
temperature
in October 2006 (°C) 		Previous highest
for October 		Years of
record
Noojee 20.4
on 12th
 18.3
on 11th in 1997
 24


Record Lowest Temperature for October

Lowest temperature
in October 2006 (°C) 		Previous lowest
for October 		Years of
record
Maryborough -0.4
on 9th
 = -0.4
on 9th in 2003
 100
Ballarat Aerodrome -3.6
on 22nd
 -3.3
on 12th in 1987
 98
Portland -0.9
on 10th
 2.1
on 3rd in 1989
 25
Hamilton Airport -0.7
on 22nd
 -0.3
on 8th in 1986
 24
Noojee 0.0
on 16th
 0.1
on 12th in 1993
 24
Morwell -2.3
on 16th
 -1.3
on 17th in 1984
 22


Summaries

Summary statistics for October 2006


 Maximum temperatures
for October
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for October
(°C)		 Rainfall
for October
(mm)
Mean for 2006 Difference from normal Highest for 2006 Mean for 2006 Difference from normal Lowest for 2006 Total for 2006 Normal total
Albury Airport 25.9 +5.2 36.5 7.2 -0.6 2.0 3 75
Bairnsdale Airport 20.5 +1.0 33.9 5.4 -2.1 0.3 8 65
Ballarat Aerodrome 19.9 +3.4 33.4 4.0 -2.5 -3.6 5 71
Benalla 24.7 +3.5 35.2 7.0 -0.6 1.0 0 65
Bendigo Airport 23.2 +3.2 35.5 6.2 -2.0 0.1 2 56
Cape Otway Lighthouse 17.8 +1.4 33.3 9.5 -0.1 4.7 25 89
Castlemaine Prison 21.8 +2.4 34.5 5.4 -1.1 -1.9 3 65
Cerberus 19.5 +1.9 34.7 6.9 -3.7 -0.9 19 70
Colac 19.4 +0.9 34.5 6.6 -0.3 1.8 9 83
Coldstream 21.4 +2.2 34.0 3.3 -3.7 -3.8 14 86
East Sale Airport 20.9 +1.6 34.7 5.3 -2.3 -0.4 8 55
Echuca Aerodrome 25.3 +3.3 37.0 7.3 -1.3 1.8 1 41
Geelong Airport 20.7 +2.1 37.1 5.8 -1.9 1.2 11 64
Hamilton Airport 20.4 +2.9 34.0 4.4 -2.3 -0.7 14 64
Horsham 24.5 +3.5 37.5 5.1 -2.5 -1.4 3 47
Kerang 25.4 +3.0 37.7 8.3 -0.8 3.7 0 41
Kilmore Gap 18.2 +2.5 31.1 6.4 0 1.3 7 83
Lake Eildon 23.3 +3.9 33.8 5.9 -1.2 0.0 5 82
Longerenong 24.0 +3.4 37.2 5.4 -1.6 -1.6 2 46
Mangalore Airport 23.8 +3.5 35.9 6.8 -0.6 -0.7 0 51
Maryborough 22.6 +2.9 35.4 6.2 -1.1 -0.4 4 60
Melbourne Regional Office 21.9 +2.3 36.6 10.3 0 5.2 8.8 65
Mildura Airport 26.3 +2.4 37.7 9.1 -0.8 4.0 0 28
Morwell 21.6 +2.5 35.1 4.9 -2.8 -2.3 13 86
Mt Hotham 10.3 +2.8 18.4 1.2 +1.0 -8.0 27 184
Nhill 24.0 +3.0 37.3 5.3 -1.7 -1.0 1 45
Noojee 19.5 +1.9 31.5 5.5 -1.2 0.0 39 119
Orbost 20.1 0 33.3 8.3 -0.3 2.3 10 76
Ouyen 26.2 +2.5 38.5 8.3 -0.6 3.1 0 33
Point Hicks 19.6 +1.3 29.3 10.0 -0.9 4.0 20 80
Portland 18.2 +1.6 32.4 6.2 -2.1 -0.9 27 64
Shepparton Airport 24.5 +3.4 36.3 6.9 -1.2 0.9 0 48
Stawell Aerodrome 22.6 +3.6 35.6 5.6 -1.9 -0.3 4 61
Swan Hill Aerodrome 26.3 +3.5 38.4 7.6 -1.8 1.2 0 34
Wangaratta Aero 25.1 +4.4 35.0 3.3 -3.6 -3.1 0 63
Warracknabeal Museum 24.7 +3.2 37.6 6.7 -0.9 0.6 2 49
Warrnambool Airport Ndb 19.2 +2.1 32.5 4.9 -2.5 -1.4 26 82
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse 16.7 +1.0 32.0 10.5 +0.2 4.5 16 92
Wonthaggi 19.3 +1.4 34.0 8.4 -0.2 1.5 17 89
Yarrawonga 25.6 +4.1 36.0 7.0 0 0.9 0 51

Note

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 1 PM on Wednesday 1 November 2006 . Although every effort has been made to check them, it is possible that results may change as new information becomes available.
Long term averages are calculated using the WMO standard of 1961 to 1990.
Climate averages for Victoria localities are available here.
Please use the following localities to cover these regions: Coldstream for the Yarra Glen area; Ceberus for the Mornington Peninsula; Morwell for the Latrobe Valley; Mangalore for Seymour; Mt Hotham for the Alpine area.
Daily Weather Observations for selected Victoria localities are available here.

Please contact us for further information.

Victoria Climate Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Dr Harvey Stern (03) 9669 4949
Email climate.vic@bom.gov.au

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